Public Service Awards

The Awards Committee requests assistance in nominating candidates for the Berea College Service Award and Honorary Degrees. The purpose of these honors is to recognize persons who have rendered significant contributions to society and have exhibited personal qualities and values consistent with the Great Commitments of Berea College.

Acting on the belief that the presence of such distinguished recipients adds to the quality of Commencement and other suitable occasions, honorary degrees have been awarded at Berea College since 1881. The qualifications for the nominees are quite rigorous. It is expected that any candidate will have made outstanding contributions in the areas of scholarship, culture, or service to humanity.  Berea College has deliberately and explicitly refrained from awarding honorary degrees merely on grounds of fame, as an enticement to visit the campus, or in expectation of some kind of reciprocal benefit. Current employees and trustees of Berea College are excluded from consideration.

Established in 1979, the Berea College Service Award is an opportunity for the College to recognize an individual who has provided outstanding service to our society in achieving the ideals of Berea’s Great Commitments. Honored at the annual Service Convocation, the recipients of the Berea College Service Award are individuals who in their daily lives have offered service. This award is a unique opportunity to honor practical service by persons in all walks of life.